Case Number 03324

THE HUNTED

The Charge

Some men must be found.

Opening Statement

A genre unto itself, the chase picture has provided moviegoers with countless
hours of men running after each other on foot, by air, on land and over water,
using dogs, guns, knives, bows, and other weapons to eventually beat the snot
out of one another. In director William Friedkin's The Hunted, Academy
Award winners Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro play tag in both the dense
forest and the asphalt jungle, right before smacking each other around like pro
wrestlers. Get ready for The Hunted, now on DVD care of Paramount Home
Entertainment.

Facts of the Case

In the Pacific Northwest, it's not a good day to be a game hunter. Drawn and
quartered, various hunters throughout the area are being slain by a mysterious
killer who leaves little in the way of clues. With the help of a former warfare
instructor, L.T. Bonham (Jones), the authorities realize that all signs point to
one of Bonham's former students: Aaron Hallam (Del Toro). Once a decorated
American solider (and assassin) in Kosovo, Hallam has been permanently damaged
by the horrors he saw in the war. Now Hallam has become a renegade, slaughtering
innocent civilians without a shred of guilt or remorse. Hallam is good at what
he does -- too good, in fact. As Hallam evades capture, Bonham realizes
that he is the only person who can bring Hallam's rage under control.
Unfortunately, Hallam doesn't want to be caged. What will ensue is a
considerably savage hunt through the cities and forests until only one man is
left standing.

The Evidence

The Hunted is an action movie for people who don't necessarily like
action movies. It can be slow at times, even meandering. There are no large
nuclear explosions or cars flying off embankments into oncoming traffic. What
you do get is Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro in a finely tuned chase by
director William Friedkin. Friedkin is best known for helming the groundbreaking
horror show The Exorcist, as well as movies featuring exasperating chases
like To Live and Die in L.A. and The French Connection. Though
The Hunted is not a classic, it does provide some moments of sheer
unadulterated pursuit.

I liked this movie. I didn't love it, but I liked it a heck of a lot. Tommy
Lee Jones is one of the most interesting actors in Hollywood. Though he's more
or less played this exact part before in director Andrew Davis' The
Fugitive (and to Oscar winning results), Jones still finds different nuances
in this particular character. His ticks and quiet trembling convey a man who is
not happy with some of the choices he's made in his life -- specifically,
teaching others how to kill. He finds a decent rival in Del Toro as Hallam, a
man who has cracked like an egg being tossed off a ten-story building. Del
Toro's Hallam is less defined than L.T., though that ultimately adds a bit of
mystery to the character.

Speaking of being tossed off a ten-story building, one of the enticing
things about The Hunted is that the action is never cartoonish or silly.
This is a movie about real people doing real stunts and often getting tired in
the process. Unlike, say, an Arnold Schwarzenegger film, The Hunted
doesn't feature characters getting the snot beat out of them and still being
able to whoop everyone in sight. In The Hunted, Jones and Del Toro tire,
become exhausted, and fall down. These are real people dealing with the (mostly)
real consequences of violence.

Interestingly, there isn't much in the way of a supporting cast, save for
Connie Nielson as an FBI field officer on the hunt for Hallam. There are
periphery characters hanging around the background, but this is really Jones and
Del Toro's show. And what a show it is -- the film dispenses with any boring
exposition and gets right down to the chase, which is what Friedkin does best.
It may not be classic filmmaking, but it is a lot of fun -- what more are you
looking for with a title like The Hunted?

The Hunted is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. I'm very
pleased with how good this transfer looks -- the colors and black levels are all
brightly rendered without any bleeding in the picture. I found no traces of
heavy edge enhancement or dirt in the picture. Try as I might, I just couldn't
find any major flaws with this transfer. Kudos to Paramount for producing a very
fine looking image.

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround in English and
French. Hey, now here's a nice little sound mix that should pull the viewer deep
into the action. There are plenty of directional effects and surround sounds to
be heard on this track. While I won't tell you it's as aggressive as something
like Spider-Man or Armageddon, this should fit the bill if you own
a home theater system. Also included on this disc are English subtitles, as well
as a Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround soundtrack in English.

Extras include:

Commentary Track by Director William Friedkin: Friedkin is a very
chatty fellow who discusses various details about the film at length. There is a
sharp focus on the story and subtext, including a lot of information about Tommy
Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro's characters. Friedkin is an intelligent
filmmaker who is has a firm grasp on the genre he's discussing. Though there are
a few moments where Friedkin is silent, though overall this is an above average
commentary track that should please fans.

Four Featurettes: These four featurettes take an inside look at the
making of the film. "Pursuing The Hunted" takes a look at Tom Brown, a
survivalist who is the basis for Tommy Lee Jones' character. Also included are
interviews with actors Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio Del Toro, director William
Friedkin, and screenwriter Art Monterastelli. "Filming The Hunted" is
a look at the production. I liked Friedkin's theory that these types of movies
should be lean, mean, and short (amen, brother Friedkin!). "Tracking The
Hunted" is a look at the various skills taught by Brown and used by Jones
and Del Toro. There is also some interesting information about how to become
invisible in the city if you're being pursued (just hunch down four inches and
you disappear in a crowd!). Finally, there is "The Cutting Edge," a
brief overview of how some of the stunts were achieved.

Deleted Scenes: Six deleted scenes are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic
widescreen. Most of these are just character extensions, as when Aaron (Del
Toro) and his girlfriend read Bible passages to her daughter. Otherwise, these
are fairly inconsequential snippets that ended up on the cutting room floor.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer presented in anamorphic widescreen
and a few previews for other Paramount titles.

Closing Statement

I enjoyed The Hunted for what it is: a well crafted action thriller.
Nothing more, nothing less. Jones and Del Toro both give excellent performances
in a film that moves at a very brisk pace. Paramount has produced a disc with
fine audio and video presentations, as well as just enough supplements to make
fans of the film happy.